Nancy Hayes, president of the newly formed Woodmen Homeowners of Falcon group, sits at the kitchen table discussing with her neighbors the next step in forming a limited liability corporation in an effort to gain control of Woodmen Hills covenants.Hayes and the others have been meeting for the last five months to find solutions to what they describe as a “pattern of harassment” of homeowners by the Warren Management Group, Inc. Warren Management is responsible for the enforcement of covenants in filings one through six and parts of nine and all of 10. Filings seven, eight and the other part of nine were built by Richmond, Classic and Melody homes, the latter three opted out of having a management company. There are still covenants for those homeowners but there is no formal enforcement group.Hayes and other group members live in filing 10 on the east side of Meridian. Each attendee expressed that they want to build a community where neighbors help neighbors. They all stated they love Falcon, their homes and neighborhood. The Woodmen Hills group does not have a problem with the covenants – just the methods of enforcement.Neighbors have reported seeing patrols walking through their yards and peering over fences. All have received numerous “nasty grams” for infractions such as incomplete landscaping, natural vegetation, and a garbage can left by the street or a car left on the street for too long. The group agrees they want their neighborhood to look nice. However, they are concerned that the covenants enforcement is selective, unreasonable and applied without common sense.Another point of contention is that they were not given a complete set of covenants prior to closing, and the covenants they do have appear different than what Warren Management is currently citing. To obtain a complete set of covenants, two Woodmen Hills group members went to the El Paso County recorders office.Hayes and the others say when they purchased their homes they were given a small packet concerning covenants. They were told that three trees were required and a design review committee had approved two types of fencing. There was no mention of landscaping or timeframes. One new neighbor, who didn’t want to be identified, attended a metro board meeting and was told by Warren Management to complete her landscaping within six months, regardless of the time of year she moved in. Prior to starting a landscaping project, a homeowner must submit a design and $75 to the design review committee.Another resident, who also didn’t want to use a name, put in approved fencing and still had to pay a fee. Fees are charged for swing sets, birdhouses, storage sheds and flowerbed – anything that goes in front, on or behind the homes, even if it’s behind a privacy fence. Fees are required for any changes to a homeowner’s property even if the changes are listed in the covenants. Warren Management employees are currently the design review committee, although the covenants state that one-to-three homeowners are required on the committee depending on how many households are in a particular area.Rusty Green, the developer, has committed to Hayes that if the group can find representation from all 10 filings and submits a proposal acceptable to him, he will consider turning the covenants’ enforcement over to the group. The limited liability corporation is necessary because the covenants state that a homeowners association is not allowed.The Woodmen Hills group is almost finished with the incorporation paperwork and will present it as part of the proposal to Green in January. The group is also constructing a Web site that will be the main tool for residents seeking information on the covenants. The group wants Woodmen Hills homeowners to come together as a community, and, if a resident isn’t complying with the covenants, they’ll determine the reasons and do what they can to help. The group envisions a hotline for residents to explain their circumstances.Another plan calls for each filing representative (there can be more than one per filing) to have the authority to approve certain covenant requests without fees and paperwork. For example, if a homeowner wants to paint their home in any of the approved colors, which will be listed on the Web site, he doesn’t need to file a form or submit a fee. Threatening letters or any other form of harassment will not be used against the homeowner.Hayes stressed that the group’s goal is to bring their community together. Te Woodmen Hills group wants the area to grow and their property values to increase, and they feel that can be accomplished with neighborly interactions.The group is still looking for representatives of filings two, three, four, five and seven. However, if you live in any area of the Woodmen Hills community and would like to represent your area, call Nancy Hayes at 494-0295. “We need people who want to work toward positive solutions,” Hayes said.
